Fall to Pieces
by inuyashagirl5
Summary: InuYYh xover: Kagome's life had been depressing since the well had closed, but little did she know, it wasn't over and things were about to get worse.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Fall to Pieces

**Author: **inuyashagirl5

**Rating: **NC-17

**Genre: **Angst, Action, Romance

**Pairing: **Undecided at the moment.

**Disclaimer: **Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Yu Yu Hakusho is owned by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only use their characters for my own amusement.

**A/N: **No, I'm not dead and this, this is an attempt to get out of my slump. There is nothing worse than having months of writer's block and then having something totally unrelated to anything you've written pop into your head. Though, that's exactly what this story is. Not related to anything else I've posted, yet unwilling to leave my mind until I type it out. There is no pairing decided yet and as always, I'm writing it as I go along. I should probably stop writing like that, but I can't help it. . 

Chapter One

She stared out the window, out into the snow covered yard of her home that she occupied all on her own now. What remained of her family had left, moved away and left her there to deal with her past. It had been only six years since she had returned home from the Feudal era, but there wasn't a day that went by that she didn't sit in that same spot and wait. There was no telling if any of them would come for her, to come and let her know they were okay, that they had lived through the final fight with Naraku. She only wished she had been able to stay with them, but Fate had decided to stop the well from allowing her passage to them, to the past. It had broken her heart, her soul and even to this day she hadn't recovered fully.

She had finished high school, though in the process, her modern day friends had alienated themselves from the sullen girl. The only time she had ever spoken while in school was when a teacher would call on her to answer the question and instead of trying to help cheer the girl up, they had just started ignoring her. It took a little while for her to get over it, but she knew that they had every right to ditch her and let her wallow in her misery alone. Hojo, on the other hand, had tried relentlessly to cheer her up. He had spoken to her everyday and whether she responded or not, he didn't seem to care. It had been what she needed to piece little bits of herself back together and she had even managed to smile and thank him for his kindness before he passed away in her arms. It seemed Fate had other things in store for the young boy and he too had been taken away from her, leaving an emptiness, but she stayed strong. She had promised him she would and she wasn't going to break the promise to someone who had done so much to help her mend.

She sighed softly to herself at all the memories. She didn't have much time to dwell on things from the past, she had to get to work. The bills didn't pay themselves and she got very little money from her mother. She slipped her boots on and wrapped her thick jacket around her slim figure before stepping out into the snow covered courtyard and frigid wind. She made her way to the sacred tree as she did every morning. She let her hand caress the rough bark for a few minutes and whispered to the wind that her friends, wherever they were, be safe and loved. Reluctantly pulling herself away from the tree, she walked a few steps before kneeling down before a light gray stone bearing her grandfather's name.

"I'm off to work again. I'll see you when I get home, Gramps." she ran her fingers over his name and the dates shown. He had been dead for almost a year she realized, but at least he was where he wanted to be. He had always loved the shrine and now he would forever be a part of it.

She walked quickly through the thick snow and silently cursed at herself for not having brought an umbrella with her or at least a scarf. It was going to be a long, cold walk for her that morning and she hoped her boss wouldn't fire her if she ended up being late. Her boss, Takao Mitsune, wasn't the friendliest person in the world and there were many times when she would look up from her work and find him watching her. The look in his eyes always creeped her out and she would look away quickly. His eyes always held a mixture off longing and determination, things that just didn't sit well with her. But, since she hadn't gone on to a university after high school, she was stuck with the secretary job her mother had gotten for her. She was just thankful that she was the secretary for the vice president of the company and not for Takao himself.

She turned the corner and froze at the sight before her. She hadn't felt anything out of the ordinary when she left the house, but now she was staring at a group of demons, confronting a human male about her own age. Behind the male lie the bodies of two females, their own auras were very faint and she knew they were going to die if she didn't help in some way. She shook her head. There wasn't anything she could do to help them. She wasn't a trained priestess and she hadn't even shot and arrow in almost four whole years. She would only make the situation worse.

Her head shot up at the male's strangled sob. It was apparent that one of the females had died and the guy was giving up hope as he hugged the body of the dead female in his arms. Her heart clenched at the sight, but she remained still and unmoving, even when the demons began to advance on the guy. She heard the startled yell and watched the guy jump to his feet, in his hands he clutched a sword of a strong energy and he swung like crazy at the approaching demons. He managed to kill a few before they started ganging up on him and beating him.

She had never felt so hopeless and useless before this and she shrunk down to the ground and closed her eyes. She couldn't watch them anymore. She couldn't see the guy die.

"That's enough." a male voice purred and Kagome shivered at the familiarity of it. Her eyes snapped open and took in the unbelievable sight of a slightly older Naraku standing in between the male and the demons, "I think you have broken him enough."

"More than enough I say." another familiar voice spoke and soon Inuyasha was standing next to Naraku, "Ugh...he's almost dead. We can't have that. Uh oh...I think they killed his sister and Urameshi's bitch."

"I could care less." Naraku turned and addressed a couple of the nearby demons to lift the male, "We have another piece. Let's get to work on finding the others. I take it that you'll be going to her today?"

"Don't remind me. Kagome's the last person I want to see." Inuyasha growled lowly and she could see the red bleed into his golden eyes, "If she wasn't a damn piece in this thing, I'd have gone and killed her the second I got through that damn barrier."

There were two swirls of miasma and then both the half-demons and the male were gone, leaving Kagome still staring wide eyed at the spot where Naraku and Inuyasha had been standing. She choked back the sob threatening to spill from her lips by covering her mouth with her hand. She couldn't understand it. Why would Inuyasha be with Naraku? Why did he want to kill her? What had happened in the past to cause such a change? Something must have gone wrong.

They had arrived seconds too late to save them. Kuwabara was gone and Shizuru and Keiko were dead. It was a difficult moment dealing with Yusuke who had gone from worried to outraged within seconds of seeing the girls lying there lifeless. It had taken a couple of their associates to finally pin him down and subdue him while a few others began scouting the area for clues. It was becoming a difficult case for the Reikai and they still didn't have much to go on. Just that there were pieces to a puzzle and that they had learned too late that Kuwabara was one of those pieces. He had been the fourth to have been taken, the others having been two demons and one human. One of the demons being Hiei's own sister, Yukina. Koenma had every possible person, demon and reaper working the case, but yet they didn't know what would happen next.

"What are you doing out here?" Touya's question brought the attention over to him and the small figure sitting on the ground before him, "Hey, I asked you a question."

"What is it, Touya?" Kurama approached him quickly.

"There is a human girl. She's comatose though, very unresponsive." he knelt before the shivering girl, "She must have seen what had happened. What should we do with her?"

"She is my responsibility." there was a soft pop and one of Koenma's reapers appeared, oar in hand and a frown on his face. He knelt next to Touya and lifted the girl's chin, forcing her to look at him, "Kagome? Hey, snap out of it."

She blinked once and her blue eyes cleared slightly before flooding with tears at the sight of the one before her. A sob escaped her as she flung herself into his arms and hugged him with everything she had.

"Strange girl." Touya muttered before standing.

"Please, Touya, don't be disrespectful to Kagome." the reaper pulled back and held Kagome out in front of him, "Did you happen to see what happened here?"

"Yes." she whispered softly, her fingers running gently over his face, "How are you here? You are dead. You died in my arms, Hojo."

He scratched the back of his head and gave her a sheepish smile. Kurama cleared his throat, diverting the attention away from Hojo and to him.

"We should report to Koenma. Bring the girl with you. We will deal with Yusuke and return shortly." he stated, not giving the reaper a chance to answer as he turned and walked back to the cluster of demons standing around an unstable Yusuke.

"Come on, Kagome." Hojo helped her to her feet, "I'm going to bring you someplace warmer. You probably have a million questions and they will all be answered, I promise, but there are questions we have to ask you when we get there. Are you okay with that?"

She gave a short nod and was abruptly hauled onto the oar with Hojo. She clung to him as he shot off into the sky. Yeah, she had a million questions, but the most prominent was what had happened in the past after she had been unable to return and what was she supposedly a piece of?

She pondered everything as they drifted through the clouds and then through a barrier to a new place. Kagome gasped at the enormity of the gates before them. They creaked open as they approached and Hojo swiftly flew through them and then down long, alabaster corridors, dodging demons and other creatures along the way. Kagome wasn't sure where they were, just that the place held a strong, indescribable aura.

"Hojo, Koenma wants to see you and the girl immediately." a blue-haired, female reaper flew alongside them, "Don't fill out any paperwork, just go."

"Hojo, where are we?" Kagome asked while she watched the other reaper become a blur down the hallway ahead of her.

"This is the Reikai, Kagome. Hold on tight, I'm going to go a lot faster." he stated and waited until her grasp on his waist tightened before zooming off down the hallway in the same direction the other reaper had gone, "You need to know a few things before we reach our destination, Kagome. One, I am dead, but I was chosen to be a grim reaper after I died. I'm able to keep all of my memories and still be able to walk amongst the living in exchange for my duties to the Reikai. Two, you're about to meet the prince of the Reikai. His name is Koenma and please be polite when speaking to him, even if he happens to look like a toddler. Three, what you saw today in the city, it's just a small thing compared to the big picture."

He landed before a large, blue door and helped Kagome down from the oar before hopping off himself. He pushed the door open and stepped into the room, Kagome following closely behind him.

"Koenma, sir..." Hojo began, but Koenma, in teenage form, held up his hand to silence him. His expression one of seriousness and anger, a sign Hojo knew was not at all good.

"Lady Kagome, please have a seat." he pointed to the couch and waited for her to sit before speaking again. He pinched the bridge of his nose first, "I'm deeply sorry about dragging you into this, but you saw something today, did you not?"

"I did." Kagome answered simply, but then added, "More than I wanted to see I might add."

"Yes, I am sure seeing people die deeply horrified you. I wish it had been prevented, but my team arrived too late. Can you tell me what it was you saw? You can take your time if you'd like. I won't rush you." he sat next to the young woman and waited as she seemed to sort things out in her head before speaking.

"I was going to work like I always do on a weekday. Nothing felt unusual to me, so seeing the demons ganging up on that guy took me by surprise. The two females were almost dead at that time. I couldn't move to help or anything...I feared I would just be more trouble than help. One of the girls died and the guy was upset and he started swinging around a glowing yellow sword. He managed to kill a few of the demons, but he was quickly detained and beaten. That's when..."

"What is it, Lady Kagome? You can tell me. Nothing can hurt you while you are in my custody." Koenma urged her to continue and placed his hand on top hers, "Please, Lady Kagome?"

"That's when they arrived. Naraku and...Inuyasha. They spoke of the guy as if he were a piece to a puzzle."

"Those names haven't been spoken in hundreds of years." Koenma frowned and recalled what he remembered, "Inuyasha betrayed his friends and traveling companions just shortly after the disappearance of the priestesses. He started assisting Naraku in the retrieval of the sacred jewel shards, but his former friends and his half-brother managed to take what Naraku had and complete it. The completed Shikon no Tama vanished from existence when it and the one holding onto it was pulled into the void. Luckily enough the we managed to save the jewel and the soul before they were completely destroyed."

"Uh...Koenma, sir?" Hojo's voice spoke hesitantly and when Koenma looked up at him, he pointed to the crying priestess next to him. Koenma frowned again and shook his head.

"But that was a little over five hundred years ago. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised that they reappeared with some sort of a devious plan." he added quickly, but it didn't stop the woman from crying, "Kagome?"

"So...they completed the Shikon no Tama with Sesshomaru's help only to have it get sucked into Miroku's wind tunnel with Miroku? He didn't get to have his family, did he?" she spoke sadly and Koenma's eyebrows shot way up as she continued, "What happened to the others? Did he kill them?"

He sat there and contemplated everything she had just said to him. How did she know specific names? He stared back at her, unsure of how to continue this conversation. But she knew things about the current ordeal, she knew the ones behind it. It was more than they had had before this. He could share a little of what he knew.

"Actually, Miroku and Sango did have a son. As a matter of fact, there is a female living today that is a descendant of their's, but she is currently being held. No doubt now that Naraku is probably the one who took her as a piece to his puzzle." he explained, glad to see a small bit of happiness within her almost blank and empty eyes, "How did you know of Miroku, Lady Kagome? How do you know of Naraku and Inuyasha?"

"I was there." she whispered and then her story flowed over her lips like a waterfall, "I was one of the two priestesses, the reincarnation of the other. The one known as Kikyo. It was the well on my shrine. It allowed me to go through to the past where I met them. The Shikon no Tama came from my body and then it was shattered. We traveled all over collecting the shards and fighting off Naraku and other enemies. I returned home one day to stock up on supplies, but then the well wouldn't let me back through. I wasn't allowed to go back to be with them."

"Well..." Koenma was speechless. How had this slipped past him and his father? A time traveling priestess? A well that served as a gateway between her time and the past? "That explains a few things."

"This puzzle that they're putting together...Inuyasha spoke earlier about me and it. It seems I too am a piece to their puzzle."

"All the more reasons to make you stay here." Koenma stood quickly, "That is, until you have completed your training and are capable of facing them with the others. I have some things to return to you, Lady Kagome. So please stay here until I return."

He departed from the room quickly, leaving Kagome and Hojo silently thinking over the whole situation. Kagome looked up as Hojo cleared his throat and she knew he was getting ready to lecture her by the look on his face. She sighed and hung her head, knowing all too well what Hojo was like when he got into lecturing mode.

"You were never sick, were you?" he asked quickly and continued, "No, I suppose I should have realized that. I think I knew but I was waiting. Why couldn't you tell me the truth, Kagome? We are friends, Kagome. I would have listened to you. That's why you were so depressed all those years ago. You couldn't go into the past and fight alongside your friends...well, Kagome, I am your friend too. You should have told me. Imagine that. You were a time traveling priestess...that's just amazing! But still, you should have told me everything!"

"Yes, you're right, but...how would you have taken the truth when you were still alive? You didn't know demons existed then, did you?" when he shook his head she continued, "You would have looked at me like I had gone crazy, Hojo."

"I would not have. I loved you, Kagome. I would have believed you."

"I'm sorry I lied, Hojo. I just didn't think anybody would accept the truth."

"I forgive you." he grinned, "At least now I know and I can help you."

The door to Koenma's office opened to reveal the other demons that Kagome had seen earlier, including the one who had thrown a fit. She cowered a bit behind Hojo as they came in and closed the door behind them. Their combined auras were incredibly strong and Kagome was feeling overwhelmed.

"Where is Koenma?" the one who had been outraged earlier growled, taking a couple intimidating steps in Hojo's direction. Hojo put his hands up as a show of submission and shook his head at the demon's behavior.

"He is currently retrieving something that belongs to Kagome. He should be back momentarily, Yusuke." Hojo replied and stepped in front of Yusuke as he snarled down at the girl on the couch, "Do not take your anger out on her, Urameshi. She didn't do anything to you."

Kagome recognized the name when Hojo said it. It explained why he was so angry. Inuyasha had said one of the girl's had been Urameshi's bitch. One of them had been his girlfriend or maybe even his mate and she hadn't been able to help her. She closed her eyes and lowered her head as she fought to keep the tears back. She didn't want to appear even more weak than she already felt, especially not in front of a bunch of demons.

Hojo sighed in relief when Yusuke took a couple steps back, his eyes were still watching Kagome, but they seemed clouded and confused. He turned away from them abruptly and stalked to the other side of the room to lean against the wall. The others in the room adjusted to sit around the office as well and Kagome found herself sharing a couch with the red-head from earlier. His aura confused Kagome, but she held back from pressing her own aura against it. She didn't want them to know that she was a priestess just yet, at least not until Koenma returned. It was bad enough that a shorter demon with gravity defying spikes was already glaring at her like he knew something.

Koenma returned a few moments later and he held up his hand to keep them all from talking until he was ready to deal with them. His eyes focused solely on Kagome and he knelt before her. She watched as he held his fist out to her, familiar prayer beads dangled from the side and she could feel the pulse from within his hand. She paled visibly and shook her head.

"I don't want it." she protested, "NO! Not again!"

"You have no choice, Lady Kagome. You are the only one who can keep it purified." he opened his palm to reveal the black jewel, "As you can see, it is tainted. It needs you. We need you to take it off of our hands and use it. See? You haven't even touched it and it's already being purified. You, Lady Kagome, you're the only one worthy to be the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. We know this, Miroku knew this. Even he wasn't capable of keeping it completely purified. It needs to be with you again."

"No." she shook her head, "No, I can't."

"Kagome..." Hojo stepped forward and Kagome jumped to her feet.

"NO! I can't! Don't you see? I am not...I'm not strong enough to guard that! I can't even...I couldn't even...I couldn't do anything to save or protect them. I am not worthy to possess the Shikon no Tama!" Tears escaped her eyes as she shook her head back and forth, "You can't expect me to do this...not after today."

"Lady Kagome, you know them. You know what they're capable of. I need you to help us." Koenma stood up and walked towards her, "We need you to help us solve this before more people die. You don't want more people to die over this, do you? Because they will if we don't stop them."

"You speak as though you know the bastard that killed Keiko and Shizuru." Yusuke growled from his spot, his eyes locked with Kagome's frightened blue eyes, "You had a chance to save them and you didn't...did you? Why didn't you help them? What kind of a priestess are you?"

Her mind spun around and around. She didn't recall stating that she was a priestess...Koenma and Hojo hadn't said anything. How did he know? His growl echoed through the room and she paled more and cowered backwards again. She was trapped and his aura just kept getting stronger and bigger, suffocating her where she stood.

"Quit it, Urameshi!" Hojo's voice cried out and he rushed to Kagome's side and caught her as her body started slipping to the floor.

"Yusuke, control yourself now. I can't have you scaring her to the point she refuses to tell us what she knows." Koenma snapped out and glared, "She couldn't have done anything to help Keiko and Shizuru. She isn't a trained priestess and if she had tried, they would have just taken her as well. She too is a piece they are looking for."

"You keep saying they. Then you do know who is behind this?" Kurama interjected and was surprised when Koenma nodded, "Can you elaborate?"

"In a moment, I promise." Koenma turned back to Kagome, "You need to take this, Lady Kagome. Starting tomorrow you will also begin your training. Genkai will be here at dawn."

She hung her head in defeat and held out her hand. Once the jewel touched her palm it glowed bright pink again. Koenma gently ran his fingers through her hair before turning to face the others. It was time to get down to business and everyone present was about to be included in the mission. The rest of the group would be along just as soon as Botan located them, which he hoped was soon.

"Okay, listen up." his tone drew attention and the group turned their eyes to him, "There are two behind this, though we're still not certain what they are up to. Their names are Naraku and Inuyasha. Some of you may recognize the names from many years ago, needless to say, they've decided to reveal themselves and are collecting these so-called pieces to a puzzle. We know so far that he has four pieces. Kuwabara and Yukina are the two most recently taken. Then there are the female descendant of the monk and demon slayer from five hundred years ago, Aiko and the fox demon named Shippo."

"Shippo?" Kagome's voice spoke up and Koenma nodded at her, "You didn't tell me he was involved too."

"Please, Lady Kagome. Everything we know will be told right now. I can answer any questions you have afterwards." he retorted and Kagome fell silent again. Though it was difficult to focus on what was being said with Yusuke glaring so hatefully at her. She let her gaze fall to the floor as Koenma continued the meeting.

Her thoughts drifted to the last time she had seen Shippo. He had accompanied her to the well that last day she was in the past. She had promised to bring him chocolate and a lollipop because his training had been going along so nicely. He had chatted almost nonstop the whole walk to the well and she had laughed at some of the meaner things he had to say about Inuyasha. He had been so vibrant and innocent. She could only imagine what he looked like today, how tall he had gotten, how strong he was.

She was shaken suddenly, brought out of her thoughts and found herself staring up into the older blue eyes of Kouga. She nearly fell over backwards at his closeness, but he held her tightly and pulled her up onto her feet. Her eyes scanned the room, falling on the blue-haired reaper girl from earlier and on familiar, yet older demons, including Sesshomaru who was staring at her in confusion. Clearly he had never learned about the well, Kouga too for that matter.

"Is it true?" Kouga asked, his face right in front of hers, inspecting her. Kagome blushed vividly.

"Is what true, Kouga?" she asked gently and he pulled back quickly in surprise. He looked to Koenma who nodded, then to Sesshomaru who shrugged and then back to Kagome who was still staring at him.

"How are you...still alive?" he asked her quietly, as if it was a secret between the two of them.

"I come from this time." she responded just as quiet, "I traveled through time via a well on my shrine grounds."

"Really?"

"Yes." she nodded, "Though it stopped working six years ago and I was stuck here. You know what happened though. You can tell me?"

"Yes, but..."

"He'll have to do it later, Lady Kagome and please do try to pay more attention to what's being said. There is much still to discuss and the more we get done, the sooner we can take action." Koenma scolded her and she nodded in agreement. She had spaced out so badly she didn't even see Kouga or Sesshomaru enter the room, she didn't even feel them enter the room.

"So, it is Inuyasha and Naraku? They finally came out of hiding?" Sesshomaru asked, his voice sounding the same as Kagome had always remembered it.

"Yes, but it's rather disturbing news to hear that they have found another piece to their puzzle. I am sure that Chuu will join with us now that Rinku has been taken." Koenma replied and Kagome realized she had missed a great deal of the conversation while remembering her last day with Shippo.

The meeting had lasted for a few hours longer before Koenma dismissed everyone in the room with the exception of Kagome and Hojo. Yusuke had tried to protest, saying he had things he wanted to discuss with the inadequate priestess. The comment had brought growls from Kouga and his two pack brothers, Ginta and Hakkaku as well as an annoyed glare from Sesshomaru, but Koenma quickly silenced all involved and sent them on their way. He didn't need this now.

"Listen to me, Hojo. You are to stay with Kagome at all times. The only exception of course is when she's in the bathroom. Yusuke is going to continue to be a stubborn and persistent guy until he finally sees the truth behind Keiko's death and with him, that could take a lot of time. She was his best friend, his mate. It's going to take a lot of time to heal."

"I will, Koenma, sir." Hojo bowed to the godling.

"Lady Kagome, I am deeply sorry about getting you involved in this."

"It's not your fault, Koenma. I would have been brought into it either way. They apparently need me for what ever their plans are. All I can do now is become a trained priestess and fight against them." she frowned and turned to Hojo, "I'm really tired. I would like to lie down if I may?"

"Of course, Lady Kagome. You'll need the rest for your training anyways. Genkai is ruthless. She won't go easy on you." Koenma scooped her hand into his and kissed her knuckles lightly, "Thank you, Lady Kagome. Thank you for helping us."

**A/N 2: **

I have no clue what's going to happen with my other stories. A couple need some serious revision because I have come to hate them and that's not a good thing. I hope to be pulling one off hiatus soon and updating three of my other stories as well. I'm terribly sorry for the slow updates. Some of my stories I realize are long overdue for an update. I'm hoping that this will get me out of my slump and get me back in the right direction!


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Fall to Pieces

**Author: **inuyashagirl5

**Rating: **NC-17

**Genre: **Angst, Action, Romance

**Pairing: **Undecided at the moment.

**Disclaimer: **Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Yu Yu Hakusho is owned by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only use their characters for my own amusement.

* * *

Chapter Two

Her stay in the Reikai had become very unpleasant over the short couple of days she had been there. Aside from her daily training with an old woman who beat the crap out of her, she also had to deal with a couple of pissed off demons. It seemed it wasn't only Yusuke Urameshi who was angry at her. The demon she had come to know as Hiei had blatantly stated that he didn't like her and it was likely she would end up dying before the mission was completed. His harsh words had only made her think of Inuyasha and the way he had treated her at times in the past. It left Kagome with the empty feeling she had grown used to. She could get over it now, like she did then. It didn't matter if they hated her for something that wasn't her fault. All she could do now was get stronger and save the ones that had been taken. She wouldn't listen to them when they spat out their hateful words in her direction.

She had already finished her training for the day and was now lying in the middle of her bed, nursing a really large lump on her forehead, a gash on her right arm and complete lack of energy from using what she had during the training itself. Genkai had called her every name in the book, but Kagome didn't stop until she collapsed from exhaustion and Hojo was ordered to carry her back to her room. He had stated he didn't like how Kagome was being treated and Genkai told him she didn't care. She had waved them off and he had apologized about how everyone was treating her. He didn't think it was right, but Kagome said she could handle it, that Genkai was being forceful for a reason. The problem was she didn't know for how long she'd be able to handle it. She was resolved to stay strong for as long as she could hold up and she wouldn't let their words break her. She wouldn't let them see tears fall from her eyes.

She sighed in aggravation as she tried to shift herself into a sitting position. She could barely move, but she wanted to take a hot shower before dinner rolled around. Even though she was sure she'd just end up sitting there staring at the plate of food the second someone spoke to her. She hadn't eaten a decent meal in the few days she had been there. Breakfast, she'd nibble on the toast and leave the rest. Lunch, she'd usually eat the fruit. Dinner, she usually ate nothing. She just didn't have the appetite. After a few moments of struggle she managed to push herself up and noticed Hojo dozing at the table, a book grasped lightly between his fingers. She watched him for a few minutes. He was the only one that cared about her there. He was the only one, yet again, trying to cheer her up when no one else wanted anything to do with her. Though when Kouga and a few of his pack mates stopped by, they would try their best to make her smile too.

Letting Hojo sleep for a little longer, Kagome grabbed a light pink yukata from the closet and some underwear from the dresser before slipping into the bathroom. She turned the shower on, setting it to hot and allowed the room to steam up as she undressed. This had become a daily routine; something she looked forward to after a vigorous training. It gave her time alone to think over everything Genkai had said to her.

There hadn't been much talking today for Genkai had focused more on the physical aspect of the training and Kagome found herself defending more than attacking. For an old woman, Genkai was intimidating, but Kagome held a ton of respect for her. She was taking time out of her schedule to train someone with no skill at all. Kagome was determined to absorb every little bit of knowledge she shared.

She scrubbed away all the dirt, grime and sweat from her body, taking extra care to clean the wound on her arm. She stepped out and toweled herself dry and her stomach rumbled in hunger. She slipped her clothing on and made her way back over to Hojo.

"Hey, Hojo. Wake up." Kagome nudged the sleeping spiritual guide. He awoke with a jump, his book falling to the floor below. His eyes met hers and he offered a small smile.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but its almost time for dinner." She replied and he didn't miss the hesitation held withing her eyes. He didn't blame her. "After that I'll head right to bed."

"You don't have to go down there to eat, Kagome. I can bring food to you."

"I am no better than any of them. If they don't get to eat in their rooms, than neither do I. I don't deserve special treatment."

He knew better than to argue with her, so he let the subject drop and escorted her to the dining hall where most of the others were already seated, Yusuke included. The former detective was about to open his mouth when Kurama rose to his feet and shifted the chair next to his out a little.

"Please, Lady Kagome, have a seat." He gestured to the chair. He ignored the offended gasp emitted from Yusuke and pleaded with his eyes that she join him. She was unsure, not that he blamed her. He hadn't spoken to her much and Yusuke and Hiei were far from nice.

Kagome glanced over her shoulder at Hojo. She wanted him to sit with her as well. Kurama had never acted like his friends, but that didn't mean he wasn't capable of acting in the same harsh manner. As soon as Hojo moved to take the seat on the other side of her, Kagome turned back to Kurama.

"Thank you." She said softly, her eyes not meeting his or any of the others around her as she sat in the offered seat. She kept her gaze on the table and waited for dinner to be served.

"I saw a little of you training today, Lady Kagome. I'm quite impressed by your determination." Kurama spoke to her and Kagome froze, surprised by the small talk he was trying to make with her. She didn't raise her head to acknowledge him, but he didn't seem bothered by it and continued, "I've already asked Master Genkai to allow me to sit in on a daily basis. I'll be taking notes and coming up with more effective ways to enhance your training. The faster you learn, the better."

"Why bother? There's no hope for her. Koenma should do us all a favor and send her back home where she belongs." Yusuke spoke up and Kagome flinched, making him snort in disgust.

"That would be unacceptable, Yusuke." Kurama shot his friend a piercing glare, though Yusuke only narrowed his eyes in response. "Sending her home would be like sending her to her death."

"What's your point? What gives her the right to live when more deserving people have died?" Yusuke sneered past Kurama at Kagome. She had closed her eyes, but there were no tears. "Go ahead and cry, girl. It's typical of the weak."

"Yusuke, stop it!" Hojo yelled out, jumping to his feet to defend his friend. He stilled when Kagome's hand grabbed his wrist and tugged. She raised her head to look at him, silently conveying for him to calm down. He listened, but scowled down at the table as he sat back in his seat.

"How amusing. You're like a little lap dog, Hojo." Yusuke snickered and leaned back in his chair, his eyes straying over Kagome and then back to glaring at Kurama.

Hojo didn't respond to the comment and was thankful to see the food finally being brought out. He wasn't surprised to see the small amounts Kagome accepted.

"You should really eat more, Lady Kagome. You need all the energy you can get for your training." Kurama's gentle voice spoke up and Hojo was glad someone did.

Kurama poked a few pieces of food from his plate and put it onto hers. He smiled when she pouted, though she still wouldn't look at him,. He assumed it was because Yusuke was in the same direction and she always went out of her way to avoid him.

"You must be hard up to get laid if you're trying to seduce _her_, Kurama. I'm rather surprised. I didn't know you liked them slow, stupid and ugly." Yusuke shoved his plate away and rose to his feet. "I don't know what you see in her, but I hope its worth our friendship."

Everyone in the room watched him depart with the exception of Kagome. Kurama rolled his eyes before turning back to his meal and pointing at Kagome's plate.

"Ignore what he said and eat. You're not leaving until your plate is clean." Kurama's voice held a hint of annoyance and Kagome scoffed at his commanding tone.

"I'm not a child, so don't treat me as such." She retorted and Kurama turned startled emerald eyes on her. Kagome didn't look up from her plate and opted to stab a pickled radish with her chopsticks.

"So it is true. You can be a spitfire." Kurama shot back and smirked. That comment had gotten her to look at him and the others in the room laughed, "You should stand up for yourself more often, Lady Kagome."

"I don't know where you heard that, but it's not true." Kagome's eyes fell back to her plate, "I'm more of an annoying burden."

"Don't talk like that, Kagome. You know it's not true." Hojo protested, his hand coming to rest on top of hers.

Kagome kept silent, deciding instead to focus on eating the food before it got cold. This meal was a welcomed change from the previous days and with Yusuke absent she was able to finish most of it. As she waited for Hojo to finish, her thoughts wandered back to the past as they often did when she missed her friends.

She still didn't know all of the details of what had occurred after she was unable to return. Kouga hadn't been able to say much when she asked, saying he needed to return to his pack and mate to fill them in on the news of Naraku and Inuyasha. All he had been able to say was that Inuyasha had been heartbroken and then Kikyo disappeared as well.

That bothered Kagome. What could have happened to Kikyo? Why did Inuyasha turn on the others? What were they planning to do with Shippo and the others? Too many questions and she wanted answers. She needed some clarification at least.

"Kagome? Kagome, are you in there?" Hojo's concerned voice stirred her out of her inner thoughts and she jumped at the hand waving in front of her face. "Ah, there you are! Everyone has left, are you ready to head back?"

"Yeah, sure." She rose and looked around. There was no one there as Hojo had said, but she silently wondered where Kurama had gone. "I must have really spaced out..."

"Yup, you sure did, Kagome, but you are exhausted." Hojo grinned and ushered her from the dining hall and back to her room. "You looked confused about something. What was it you were thinking about?"

"The past." She said simply and he understood.

They turned the corner from one hallway to the one Kagome's room was located on and Kagome stopped upon seeing a scowling Yusuke leaning against her door. She shrunk back behind Hojo when his heated gaze turned towards them and he growled.

"You do not have permission to be in this wing. Please leave, Urameshi." Hojo stated angrily, but Yusuke shoved him to the side with startling ease, his eyes never leaving Kagome.

Kagome flinched when she was shoved against the wall, the back of her head slapping hard against the wood and making her see stars. She groaned when he gripped her chin tightly and forced her head up so he could glare directly into her eyes.

"I hope you're proud of yourself. Kurama was one of my closest friends and you...you must have enjoyed gaining his affections." He sneered at her, "I wonder what it is he sees in you? There's not one damn special thing about you. Fuck, you don't even smell appealing."

"And I'm supposed to care what you think?" Kagome bit out and briefly stunned Yusuke. He recovered quickly and gripped her face tighter.

"You get off on shit like this, don't you?"

"Hardly." Kagome pulled away from his grasp. Yusuke punched the wall next to her head, making her flinch again.

"Quit trying to provoke me, girl. I'm not against hitting you."

"My name is Kagome. Ka-Go-Me." She crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at him with fiery, defiant blue eyes.

"I don't give a shit what the fuck your name is!" Yusuke yelled in her face and Kagome turned her head away. He was quick to force her to look at him again, "You are nothing. You don't deserve my acknowledgment or respect. The only reason you are here is because you're too damn weak to protect yourself. You have to hide behind someone else so you can feel safe."

"That's enough, Yusuke!" Kurama approached them with Botan behind him, "Release her."

Yusuke growled low in his throat before shoving Kagome to the floor and stepping in front of her, blocking Kurama and the others from getting to her.

"What is wrong with you, Yusuke? You're not acting like yourself." Botan asked and was met with a deep snarl as a response.

"This bitch let Keiko die, Botan. You can't expect me to be normal after that." Yusuke's angry eyes turned to Kurama next, "And Kurama is a traitor to our team. He'd rather get acquainted with her than focus on rescuing Yukina and Kuwabara."

"I am not the one who isn't focused on the mission, Yusuke. I understand you're still grieving for the loss of your mate, but taking all the anger out on someone who couldn't have done a thing to help is unfair." Kurama interjected, ignoring Yusuke's growl, "Lady Kagome is a bigger part of this mission than you realize, Yusuke. Without her, we'd be no where."

"Don't give me that! It's bullshit!"

"It's not bullshit! Without Kagome we wouldn't have had any direction on this case! We know the ones behind it and we gained powerful allies!" Hojo protested, this time not backing down even when Yusuke's really angry eyes met his, "You just watch, Urameshi. She's going to be strong."

"What ever." Yusuke shoved past them "You can put your trust in the bitch. I could care less."

Hojo moved to help Kagome up and she grimaced at the pain that shot up her spine. She rubbed a particularly sore spot at the base of her neck.

"Are you alright?" Hojo checked her over for any signs of serious injuries. "I'm really sorry about that, Kagome. I'm not much of a fighter so I called for Kurama."

"It's okay. Thank you." Kagome replied softly and without looking at Kurama or Botan, she made her way into her room. Hojo frowned after her before casting an apologetic smile at Kurama and Botan.

"Don't worry about it, Hojo. Just see that she gets to bed soon." Kurama instructed before departing with Botan.

Kagome was already climbing into bed when Hojo entered the room. She rolled onto her side, facing away from him and settling herself in.

"You just watch, Hojo." Her soft, tired voice spoke and he turned to face her. "One day I will be strong. One day Yusuke will respect me."

He smiled as she yawned and drifted off to sleep. Picking up the book he had dropped earlier, Hojo settled in for the night.

_'Don't worry, Kagome. Even if no one else does, I have faith in you.'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Fall to Pieces

**Author: **inuyashagirl5

**Rating: **NC-17

**Genre: **Angst, Action, Romance

**Pairing: **Undecided at the moment.

**Disclaimer: **Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Yu Yu Hakusho is owned by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only use their characters for my own amusement.

* * *

Chapter Three

The long days of training only got tougher and more strenuous once Kurama's opinions and suggestions were added into the mix. However, it made little to no difference to Kagome, who took to the new training methods with more determination. She had gained more energy and stamina with the fierce, fast paced training regimen. She was learning faster than anyone expected and that came as good news to those who were eager to get this mission going.

There had been very little news in the past month on either Naraku or Inuyasha. Naraku hadn't been seen or heard from since Kuwabara's abduction. Inuyasha, on the other hand, had been known to pop up from time to time, usually in places Kagome was known to be. He was growing frustrated at not being able to locate her, the proof being the decimated house he left behind on his last visit to the shrine. But no matter how hard they tried, they had never been able to successfully locate and track the half demon dog. This was very aggravating for Hiei, who had no clue if his sister was dead or alive. It was that frustration that made his temper unstable and everyone knew to keep their distance from the hybrid. Kagome especially.

Mealtime had gotten more and more uncomfortable over the weeks as Yusuke continued to verbally assault Kagome, Hojo, Kurama and any other person who tried to defend Kagome, but there hadn't been physical confrontation between the two since the night in the hallway. Kurama knew Yusuke wasn't the type to hit an innocent woman, but in Yusuke's mind Kagome wasn't so innocent and he feared that if Kagome continued to keep silent, Yusuke would snap. He needed to get him to see the error of his ways, but it had never been easy getting Yusuke to listen when he was acting so stubborn.

"Where's our beloved priestess?" Sarcasm coated Yusuke's words as they sat around the table waiting for lunch to be served. Kurama looked up from the notebook he was writing in to survey the room. Kagome wasn't with them, but Hojo was and he was blatantly ignoring Yusuke's question.

"Hojo?" Kurama leaned a little closer to the spirit guide. He frowned when Hojo turned to look at him, the usual light in his brown eyes had dulled. "What happened?"

"Kagome is with Lord Sesshomaru and Lord Koenma. She will not be joining us today." He directed his answer at Kurama. An unamused snort came from Yusuke's location, but they chose to ignore him again. "Things have occurred concerning her family and Inuyasha. It's bad I'm afraid. Kagome won't likely be up for training much in the next couple days."

"Pity. To think she was supposedly doing well too. Oh well, all the more reason to send her back." Yusuke replied and leaned back in his chair. He rolled his eyes at the glare Hojo directed at him.

"Back to what, Urameshi?" This question came from the ice demon, Touya, who was standing just in the doorway with Botan and Chuu. "Kagome doesn't have anything to go back to anymore. No home, and now no family."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Inuyasha tracked down and killed Kagome's mother. Her younger brother Souta has been taken, but it was noted that his blood had been spilled also." Hojo explained quietly.

"Good, then she knowns how it feels." Yusuke stood quickly, intent on leaving when he was shoved hard and tackled to the floor, an oar pressing tightly to his throat.

"You disgusting pig! How dare you speak like that about her? Get your head out of your ass, Urameshi! It's not Kagome's fault that Keiko is dead!"

It stunned everyone in the room to see Hojo take down the former detective. Even Yusuke was surprised by the usually well mannered reaper's outburst. It wasn't like him to get so worked up over something.

"Oh, you're dead!" Yusuke reversed their positions easily after regaining his composure, slamming Hojo down twice as hard. "What's disgusting is you coddling that girl!"

"Jealous, Urameshi? She got the attention you desired? I was unaware that you liked to be coddled!"

"Yeah, you know what? I'm gonna have to kick your ass for that remark."

"That just proves your jealousy."

"She let Keiko die when she could have stepped in and helped! It is her fault!"

"No, you idiot! Those demons who were sent to retrieve Kazuma were the ones that murdered Keiko and Shizuru! There was no way for Kagome to help!" Hojo flinched as Yusuke's fist thrust downward, brushing just barely past his head to punch the floor below.

"Bullshit!"

"We both know you're not really this heartless, Yusuke. It's selfish of you to condemn an innocent just because you lost someone important."

"That's enough both of you!" It was Koenma's voice that snapped the pair out of their argument. Yusuke was quick to let go and stand up. He ignored everyone in the room as he left quickly, needing to get away from them to sort things out in his head, otherwise he'd just stay behind to pummel Hojo into the floor.

Hojo sat up slowly, his hands coming up to cover his face. Shame and guilt coursed through him at his behavior. He had never acted that way before and he was disappointed in himself for having lost control. Not to mention he had just physically confronted someone far stronger than he could ever hope to be. He was lucky to have come out unscathed.

"Are you alright, Hojo?" Botan touched the shoulder of her fellow reaper. He gazed up at her with a small smile and nodded.

"I'm...fine." He released a shaky breath and allowed her to help him stand, "I fear I may have overstepped my boundaries on that one though."

"Those things needed to be said. You just stepped up before any of us did. I'm impressed. That took guts. Kurama placed his hand on the reaper's other shoulder, "She means a lot to you. What you did was honorable."

After giving Kurama a grateful smile, Hojo learned from Koenma that instead of grieving for the loss of her mother and the abduction of her brother, Kagome had returned back to the dojo to train under Lord Sesshomaru's watchful eye. Both Hojo and Kurama excused themselves from the room and made their was to where Kagome would be.

**OoOoO**

It was bad enough that he had lost her. Keiko had meant everything to him. She had been the only constant in his whole life. He missed her so much, but there wasn't anything that could be done to get her back. He had tried begging Koenma, threatening him, but the Demi-God had said he couldn't bring her back, his father wouldn't allow it and that was the end of that. He had to suffer through his grief all on his own. His friends hadn't been very supportive. He didn't blame Hiei. He couldn't blame Kuwabara. But Kurama, he could place the blame on him...but then again, he couldn't.

Yusuke didn't know where he was heading, he just knew he needed to get away from the others for a little while. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was effected by Hojo's words. Was he really acting that heartless?

Didn't he have a right to? The girl had admitted that she had watched Keiko and Shizuru die and she had chose to remain still instead of helping. That made her the heartless one, not him. She had a choice and she chose to be selfish.

If that was true, then why was he still upset at what Hojo said?

His steps slowed until he stopped before the dirt covered grave of his dead mate. Wilted flowers were still scattered around the slate grey headstone bearing her name. His eyes swelled with tears but he willed them not to fall. He wouldn't cry now, not until those responsible for her death were dealt with.

"Nice weather, isn't it?" A deep masculine voice questioned from behind him, startling Yusuke who hadn't heard or sensed anyone approach. "Relax, I'm not here to harm you. I have a proposition of sorts."

Yusuke turned to face the male, surprised to come face to face with a guy dressed in the pelt of a white baboon. He couldn't tell if he was human or demon. The guy had no visible aura.

"Who are you?" Yusuke held his ground, keeping his guard up in case the unknown stranger had ill intentions.

"You may call me Onigumo." The man replied and stepped forward to stand next to Yusuke, his head tilted downward slightly. "It's a shame that such a young life was taken. Tsk...she would have been twenty this year. How sad."

"You said you had a proposition for me?" Yusuke growled lowly and the man nodded.

"Yes. I am...in need of some information. There is a young woman I am looking for, but I have been unsuccessful in my search. I figured with your ties to the Spirit World that maybe you could help me locate her." The man called Onigumo knelt before Keiko's grave and ran his fingers through the soil. "I can revive her in exchange."

"What?" Yusuke stumbled back a few steps at the man's words. He hadn't been expecting that.

"Ah. Don't decide now." Onigumo stood quickly, his ears listening to the quick steps approaching their location. "I'll return here in two days. You can answer me then. The girl I am searching for, her name is Kagome Higurashi."

The man vanished in a swirl of miasma just as Hiei landed down nearby, his katana drawn and a deep growl rumbling in his chest. His blood red eyes went from the spot where Onigumo had vanished to narrowing in utter distaste at Yusuke.

"What ever he said to you, you best not go along with it. I'll kill you if you do."

Just as quick as he got there, Hiei was just as quick to leave. Yusuke stood still, confused by everything, but still curious of the proposition. Information on Kagome for the return of Keiko's life? It sounded like a fair trade to him.

He shook his head slowly. It sounded fair, but that would likely make him the selfish person Hojo accused him of being. But still, he said he could revive Keiko and he wanted that. But there was also Hiei's words to factor in.

"Ah, fuck!" Yusuke fisted his hand into his hair and groaned. He didn't need this right now. It was too much all at once. He needed time to think and maybe as Koenma a few questions of his own.

**OoOoO**

There had been very little doubt that the scent of the disguised demon conversing with Yusuke had been the same scent that had lingered in the last place Yukina had been. The fact he had come so close to her captor and failed to get any answers, on top of the fact that Yusuke was chatting rather casually with him really pissed Hiei off. There was only one person he could question on the identity of the cloaked man and he loathed the idea of asking _her _anything.

Locating her was easier than he expected it to be. The girl's voice rang out clearly from the main dojo. She was displeased if her tantrum was anything to go by. He entered the room to see her standing in front of the dog demon, her fists were clenched at her sides and her cheeks red in anger.

"Hiei?" Kurama spoke his name quietly, gaining the hybrid's attention, but only briefly.

"I don't want to stop! I can continue!" Kagome shouted up at Sesshomaru, who continued to stare down at her with narrowed amber eyes. Hiei was surprised by her guts to stand up to a demon that clearly overpowered her. "I'm serious, Sesshomaru! I want to continue!"

"No." He answered and she growled out in frustration. Sesshomaru's gaze lifted from her to Kurama, silently conveying that he wished for his assistance with the girl. It was Hojo who stepped forward instead.

"Kagome, you need to rest. You haven't eaten anything all day and you're not taking the time to cope with your loss. "He flinched when she whirled around to face him and he held up his hands in submission. "Please, Kagome. You can't do this."

"Stop treating me like I'm a child!" She screamed out angrily, "I don't have time to grieve right now! We have to find them and stop them. Inuyasha cannot get away with this!"

"You're acting foolish." Sesshomaru cut her off when she tried to speak again. "You have nothing left to continue training. You're not even focused on the training. Your energy is reacting in an unstable manner and any of us that are near you could end up dead."

Those words ceased Kagome's rants. She didn't want that to happen. Not to those trying so hard to help her. She collapsed to her knees as soft sobs rose from her throat. Hojo was quick to comfort her.

"What is this loss the reaper speaks of?" Hiei's gaze met Kurama's and the fox frowned.

"We learned today that Inuyasha killed her mother and took her younger brother. We have no clue if the boy is dead or alive."

"Hn." Hiei let his gaze fall back on the weeping girl and Kurama saw his friend's eyes cloud over momentarily before he moved forward, coming to stand next to Kagome and Hojo. His eyes met with Sesshomaru's and there was a silent agreement passed between them before the dog demon walked away.

"Is there something you need, Hiei?" Hojo questioned him, and Hiei noticed the girl cringe at the mention of his name. She feared him. Good.

He leaned down enough to grasp Kagome's chin and forced her to look up at him. Her eyes wouldn't meet his, but that didn't matter to him.

"Who is the demon in the white baboon pelt?" He asked, and Kagome's eyes grew wide. He had been right in his assumption. She did know. "Tell me who it is."

"Naraku." She replied quietly, her voice wavering slightly. "He wore that pelt often when my friends and I first encountered him in the past."

"You are certain of this?"

"Positive. Why?"

"That does not concern you." Hiei released her and headed towards the exit. He stopped briefly to speak to Kurama. "Words were exchanged between Naraku and Yusuke. I don't know what was said, but if the detective betrays us for any reason, I will kill him."

"I will speak to Koenma on the matter." Kurama replied, knowing that was what Hiei wanted of him. Hiei turned back towards Kagome and spoke loud enough that she would hear his next words.

"I will be here for tomorrow's session. I strongly advise you to get the rest they are telling you to take. I will not hold back for you."

He left after that, missing Kagome's soft word of thanks. Kurama would tell him later when he spoke to him about Kagome' training. For now he needed to see Koenma and alert him to some possible problems.

"Please, Lady Kagome, get something to eat and rest today. Take some time to mourn for your mother. It will help you more to do it now and not hold it in." He smiled at her gently and she nodded in acceptance.

"I will. Thank you, Kurama."

Kurama left them in the dojo and quickened his steps to get to Koenma's office as quickly as possible. He hoped to run into Yusuke as well and maybe get some insight into what had been said. Maybe an important clue would pop up, giving them the edge they so desperately needed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **Fall to Pieces

**Author: **inuyashagirl5

**Rating: **NC-17

**Genre: **Angst, Action, Romance

**Pairing: **Undecided at the moment.

**Disclaimer: **Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Yu Yu Hakusho is owned by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only use their characters for my own amusement.

* * *

Chapter Four:

Koenma's mind was swamped with tons of new information. Kurama had visited him a few hours earlier to relay to him what Hiei had seen and what Kagome had confirmed. He also spoke of Hiei's inclusion into Kagome's training, something that had surprised them both. Kagome was already able to pull forth her healing and purifying energies due to the training with Genkai, and she wasn't doing too bad with the hand to hand combat that Kurama was teaching her. In Koenma's eyes, she was ready to handle a weapon, something other than a bow and arrow. Though he knew she needed to practice that as well.

Yusuke had come to speak to him an hour after Kurama had left him. Koenma purposefully didn't ask about the demon in the white baboon pelt, hoping Yusuke would come out and tell him on his own. He did, but it was clear to the Godling that he was withholding some information.

He did speak of the demon in the pelt and said he called himself Onigumo. Koenma wasn't sure of the name's significance, but made a mental note to ask Kagome of it later. Yusuke also spoke about the possibilities of someone else reviving the dead. He was curious if there were demons with such capabilities. Koenma admitted there were a rare few that could, one of them being their new ally, Sesshomaru, though he was only able to give back life to those who were recently deceased. He didn't say it out loud, but Keiko had been dead for far too long to get the dog demon's help. By now, the girl's body was decomposing.

From what little info Yusuke shared, Koenma was certain they spoke of Keiko's death and a way to revive her. He didn't know if there was something wanted in return, but he had his suspicions, which lead him to call together a quick meeting to set some things straight. He couldn't have his team or their allies becoming distracted.

As the last of the group arrived in his office, Koenma observed them. Yusuke was the only one maintaining a distance from the others, a bad sign in his opinion. Kagome sat quietly in between Hojo and Botan. Both of the guides kept contact with the girl. Botan's hand was on Kagome's knee and Hojo was holding one of her hands. Koenma cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention before beginning.

"Let's get started, shall we?" He spoke and all eyes turned to him. "As most of you may know, Inuyasha made an appearance this morning. He took the life of Kagome's mother and he took her younger brother hostage. At this time we don't know of the boy's welfare. Naraku also made an appearance this afternoon, though we know very little of what was said. Tell me, Lady Kagome, do you know of Onigumo?"

Both Kagome's and Yusuke's eyes widened at the question, though Yusuke's were quick to narrow on Koenma.

"Yes." Kagome replied, her eyes catching briefly with Yusuke's before quickly darting away. "Onigumo is who Naraku used to be. He was a human who was found badly burned and was cared for by Kikyo and her sister, Kaede, in a cave just outside their village. He yearned for Kikyo so much that he offered himself to a host of demons and was reborn as Naraku."

"Ah. That information is useful. It'll broaden our search." Koenma turned all of his attention to Yusuke. "You didn't tell me what he wanted in exchange though, Yusuke. Surely he wanted something in return if he's considering reviving Keiko for you."

"That's not possible." Kagome stated, gaining all the attention yet again. Yusuke growled lowly and pulled away from the wall, but she didn't back down. "When he revived the Band of Seven, it was through the usage of the jewel shards. It was the same when he kept Kohaku alive. Once the jewel shard was removed, that person died yet again."

"But the jewel is whole and in your possession. So that cuts his options down." Kurama added as he moved to step in between Yusuke and Kagome.

"I'm sure he knows how to reanimate a corpse though. Inuyasha probably spoke of it since he saw it happen, but even then they're not actually alive. More like walking and talking clay pots that feed on the souls of others."

"Like Kikyo." Kouga replied, moving to stand next to Kurama. "But Naraku didn't reanimate her."

"No, a witch named Urasue did. She used grave soil, Kikyo's ashes and a piece of my soul. Now that I think about it, I never got that piece back."

"Then either Kikyo is alive, or someone else has that piece of your soul." Kouga turned slightly to face Kagome, "It would be nice to know what happened to her. She couldn't have just vanished."

"Either was, Naraku's intentions are false."

"What the fuck would you know?" Yusuke snapped angrily, making Kagome flinch.

"When it comes to how Naraku conducts his business, Kagome would know more about it than you." Kouga retorted, sneering at Yusuke, "We've dealt with him and his manipulative games before. We know what he's capable of."

"If anything, he'll revive her just to use her against us. He'll make her his pawn in hopes to make you his pawn as well." Kagome replied and paused as her eyes locked with Kouga's; a new thought racing through her head. "You don't suppose that maybe..." She trailed off as she thought more deeply on it.

"What is it, Kagome? Please, don't hold back any theories you may have." Koenma pleaded with her to continue, bringing Kagome's attention to focus on him.

"It's only speculation since I don't know all the details, but perhaps he's planning to take Yusuke as well?"

"As if they could." Yusuke scoffed, "Unlike you, I'm not weak and helpless."

"I make one valid assumption and all you can manage to add to the conversation is more of the same repetitive insults." Kagome rose to her feet, locking her eyes with Yusuke's as she continued. "Why don't you share the other details? What was it that Naraku wanted in exchange for her revival?"

This was worth the shot, she mused. She was risking her own wellbeing by provoking him, but they needed to know what it was Naraku wanted. Any small clue was worth the possibility of pain.

As Yusuke took a few steps in her direction, Kagome maintained her ground. She wasn't backing down for anything. He tried shoving Kurama to the side, but the fox wasn't moving and Kouga stepped in to help hold him back, which further enraged Yusuke.

"What the fuck? Let go of me, you stupid wolf!" Yusuke struggled against their hold, but his angry eyes were focused only on Kagome.

"Answer my question, Urameshi. I can guarantee that if you're withholding something important, there are quite a few in this room who will be very upset with you." She held his gaze, doing her best to remain strong in the face of someone so strong. "You're acting very selfish by remaining silent. There are people still alive that need our help. We can't..."

"Now you want to help?" Yusuke shouted and struggled again, "Of course you want to help now! He has someone you care about! You don't give a shit about any of the others that were taken or killed!"

That hurt and it made her falter in her words. She took a deep breath to compose herself, then released it.

"Fine. It's my fault she died! I was weak and absolutely powerless and I couldn't do a damned thing to save them!" Kagome shouted back at Yusuke, surprising him and a few others at her outburst and at the words she spoke. "Regardless of that detail, I have every right to redeem myself by doing what ever I can within my power! I have every right to go after the one who killed my mother and stole my brother!"

There was a different look in Yusuke's eyes after her outburst and Kagome could clearly see the pain he was in. He ceased his struggle, his eyes breaking contact with hers as he turned his head to the side. He hesitated, as if contemplating his next words, but after a quick shake of his head he spoke in a soft, pained tone.

"He wants to know where you are. He's having a hard time searching for you. The guy said he'd revive Keiko if I got him that information."

"I figured as much." Came Kagome's soft reply.

"He cannot know that information. They need her for what ever it is they are doing. It gives us the advantage having her here. Under no circumstance can he know. Not for Keiko's revival. Not for Souta's return. Nothing." Koenma's eyes passed between Yusuke and Kagome. "I meant what I said. If he learns she is here, it would cause more trouble. He would learn that she is in possession of something he once sought after, something he absolutely cannot have."

Yusuke observed Kagome out of the corner of his eyes. She had taken to holding the pink jewel around her neck. The jewel that radiated a strong energy all its own. She looked so lost while she held it within her fingers.

"What the hell does that thing do anyway? I can feel its power, but what good is it?" His question brought her gaze back to him, there was a faint shimmer of unshed tears in her eyes which confused him.

"There is no good when it comes to the Shikon no Tama, only suffering. Many have lost their lives over it, whether they were innocent or not." She answered, and his confusion diminished. He shook his head slowly. That was not what he was expecting to hear for a small, pink trinket, but he believed her words.

"I want to know more."

"No." Kagome shook her head firmly. He bristled instantly at her refusal.

"Why the hell not? If it's something that could potentially harm me or my teammates, I should know what its capable of!"

"I don't trust you." She snapped at him, her own anger rising. "If someone else wishes to tell you then that is their choice. As its guardian I am obligated to protect it, especially from someone who has shown me nothing but hatred and hostility."

"You're just full of surprises tonight, aren't you, girl?" Yusuke scowled at Kagome, who returned the expression easily. "When the hell did you grow a set of nuts?"

"It's Kagome. I've said it before, but I'm sure you have chosen to forget it. As for growing a set of nuts, I assure you I haven't. It's called stepping up and not letting anyone, or _anything_, put you down."

"I do not wish to sit here and listen to this ridiculous prattling. If there is nothing more to discuss I am leaving." Hiei pulled away from the wall where he had been standing in silent observation through the whole meeting. Knowing now what had been shared between Yusuke and Naraku didn't make him feel any more secure. However, Yusuke's actions were a lot calmer since Kagome took the blame he had placed on her. The girl's demeanor had also changed in the short span of time. Her fiery determination was impressive, but it was something Hiei was sure he could easily break.

"Yeah, all of you may go. I think I have all the information needed at this time. As, except for you, Yusuke. I have a few more things to discuss with you." Koenma dismissed the rest of them with a wave of his hand and they departed.

Kagome retreated back to her room after the meeting, avoiding as many of the others as she could. She didn't want any of them to see how shaken up she really was. She wiped away the few stray tears that fell onto her cheeks as she heard someone coming up behind her. The scent of roses quickly alerted her that the one behind her was Kurama and she frowned. It was pointless to erase the evidence of tears when being followed by a demon and she felt embarrassed for being weak.

She didn't turn back to face him, but it was evident he intended to follow her the whole way, which bothered her. Where was Hojo anyway? He very rarely ever left her side. She hesitated at her door and he stopped as well. She cast him a questioning glance, but his face remained impassive.

"Is there something you need, Kurama?" She questioned him and he motioned for her to open the door. With a soft sigh she complied and she turned to gesture for him to enter, closing the door behind them with a soft click. "Can you please make your visit quick? I want to go to bed."

"I can." Kurama replied as he faced her, his eyes softening as he noticed her tear stained cheeks. He wasn't surprised that she had cried. The girl had had a long and difficult day and it took a lot of nerve to stand up to someone like Yusuke. "I'm proud of your actions this evening, Lady Kagome. You surprised us with your courage, though I do hope you'll refrain from provoking him again. Had he really wanted to, he could have easily gotten past myself and Kouga."

"I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't provoke him. He's been through enough." She frowned sadly and he blinked at her in surprise. "I can't even imagine the pain he must be going through."

"You're too kind, Kagome." Kurama replied softly. "Even when you're suffering, you're more concerned for him."

"It's sad, I know." She managed a small smile, though it wasn't at all happy. "But, I think he's calmed a bit. I don't think things will be as rough now."

"I hope so." Kurama touched her arm in a gentle, caring manner. Kagome was startled by the motion, but it was quick and he pulled away. "Goodnight, Lady Kagome."

"Please, I liked it better when you didn't attach Lady to my name."

"Alright then, Kagome. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Kurama."

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

The following morning, Kagome was awakened by Hojo and went about her typical morning routine. Hojo watched her with sad, sympathetic eyes, but she wasn't going to let it bother her. There would be time later on for her to mourn. All she could do now was train with every ounce of determination she could muster.

Breakfast went surprisingly well. Instead of his usual insults, Yusuke chose to ignore her. She was fine with that. It was easier to deal with and she was able to converse with Hojo and Kurama without interruption. Both of them took notice that she ate more than usual too. A good sign in their opinions.

After breakfast they were briefed on any new progress. There was still not much to go on, but rumors were coming in on a female demon stealing souls. Through the descriptions gained, Kagome said that it was very likely Naraku's incarnation, Kanna, that was behind it. She'd been asked to explain what she knew of the demon and Kagome recalled the time Kanna had attempted to steal her soul and how she was able to break free. She made it a point to emphasize that it was only the enormity of her soul that allowed her to escape and that not everyone had been as lucky. It was only through luck also, that she'd been able to break the mirror and free those villagers.

Now she was following Hojo and Kurama to the dojo to begin her training. Genkai had to step out for the day, ordering Kurama to take her place and he had agreed without hesitation. Kagome wasn't surprised to find Hiei and Sesshomaru in the room, both of them silently discussing something off to the side. Their eyes shifted slightly to glance at her before looking away. She was surprised to see Yusuke there, leaning against the back wall with his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze on her. His expression was unreadable and making her nervous enough to shrink back and behind Kurama, effectively blocking her from his view.

"Kagome, go have a seat and begin meditation." Kurama turned to her, "We'll begin as usual, despite Genkai's absence."

"Of course." Kagome replied and sat on the floor, her back to Yusuke. She closed her eyes and took a couple deep, calming breaths. Hojo sat down near her, watching the demons around them closely.

"I hope you don't plan on interrupting, Yusuke." Kurama stopped before his friend.

"Fuck, Kurama. What the hell do you take me for?" Yusuke snarled in annoyance. "I only came to watch. I don't have anything else to do at the moment. I figured you wouldn't mind if I sat in and watched her. She is our teammate now. I need to at least know what she is capable of even if she won't tell me what that stupid jewel can do."

"Relax, Yusuke. It's fine. Do me a favor though?"

"What?"

"Take notes. Your opinion of her training would be nice." Kurama slapped his notebook roughly into Yusuke's chest. Yusuke jumped at the contact, then scowled at Kurama's retreating back.

Kurama's style of teaching wasn't too different than Genkai's and for that Kagome was pleased. He praised her when she was able to form a sword made up of her spiritual energy and scolded her when she wasn't able to hold it for more than five minutes. She was ordered to do it again and again until she was able to maintain the weapon for ten minutes. It had taken her two hours to do so, the others watching all the while.

Once he felt she was done with her energy training, Kurama offered her a couple minutes for a break, but she was quick to refuse.

"I'm alright." She replied softly and stretched her arms and back. "Ready when you are."

"Are you sure? You've used up a lot of your energy." He hesitated, she already looked close to her limit and she still had more to do, including the training with Hiei.

"Yes." She gave a firm nod and they began the second part of her training. Off to the side the others in the room watched them, each keeping their own notes of her strengths and weaknesses. Kagome had yet to land a solid punch, but she was getting closer and he ability to dodge Kurama's attacks had improved.

"You have to act like you mean it, Kagome!" Kurama growled out at her, momentarily distracting her enough for him to hit her shoulder squarely and sending her tumbling to the floor. She winced when her left wrist twisted a little too far to the side. "You're too soft and it's making you weak. Come at me like I am Inuyasha. Come at me like you want to kill me."

That, in itself, was a possible problem. Could she kill Inuyasha? Did she want to kill him? She had only ever killed low level demons before, not someone, who at one time, meant so much to her. She couldn't think like that now. Her brother needed her. Shippo and the others needed her. It was Inuyasha's fault. Her innocent mother was dead because of him.

"She's incapable." Sesshomaru's voice spoke up and Kagome pushed herself back onto her feet using her good arm. She didn't give attention to her left wrist. She didn't want to give them a reason to stop teaching her.

"Do not speak as if you know me." Kagome lashed out angrily. Sesshomaru had no right to speak for her. "I may have never killed anything but low level demons, but that doesn't mean I'm incapable of defeating someone stronger."

"Low level demons are not the same as Inuyasha. Your emotional attachment to that filthy half-breed is what makes you incapable." Sesshomaru answered, his cold amber eyes narrowed on her, daring her to protest. She turned away from him instead and faced Kurama.

"I cannot look at you and think of you as Inuyasha. However, I will try harder. I'm not going to back down. You should know that by now." Kagome held his emerald gaze as she continued, "I'm sure all of you see me as a pathetic burden that will never amount to anything. I fully plan to prove you wrong."

"I assure you, Kagome, you know nothing of what we really think of you."

The combat training started anew, though there wasn't much difference than before. Kurama knew something was off, but he decided against speaking of it. He wanted to push her more now than ever before. He wanted for her to see that he, at least, didn't see her as a pathetic burden.

She dodged more this time, and blocked quite a few punches as well. She was protecting her left side fiercely, causing the demons watching to speculate, and Hojo to frown.

"That'll do..." Kurama dodged her oncoming jab, catching her by the elbow. "...for now."

"Alright. Thank you." Kagome pulled herself from his grasp and walked over to where Hojo was waiting with water. She raised an eyebrow at his questioning gaze. "What is it?"

"Well, I'm surprised that they didn't see it. You know, them being demons and all, you'd think they would have noticed the swelling." He reached for her swollen wrist, but she promptly drew it back.

"Shut up!" She hissed at him. Hojo's eyes widened a fraction and she looked away, unable to face him. "Please, just don't say anything."

"That's not wise, Kagome. I can't let it go."

"You have to. Please, Hojo." She pleaded with him. She didn't want to stop. Not for something so small and insignificant. Not for something that would lengthen the time it took her to train. For the briefest moment it looked like Hojo was going to comply with her wishes.

"I'm sorry, Kagome." He replied sadly and turned away from her. He knew this would damage her trust in him, but he couldn't let her injury get worse. "Kagome, cannot continue today. She wants to, but her wrist is too swollen."

"Her wrist?" Kurama eyed her and Kagome turned away, hiding her injured wrist behind her. Tears threatened to break through, but not because of the pain, but because of her desperation to be stronger. For herself, and for the others. She didn't want to set them back, she had already caused enough problems already.

"It's not as bad as he's making it out to be. I have too much to learn and I can't let something so small interfere." She let her gaze lock with Kurama's, but it was brief. She had to look away as his eyes hardened into a look of anger.

"The left?" He asked Hojo who nodded and then Kurama was approaching her. "You were guarding it. I suppose I should have seen it. I'm ashamed to say my mind was focused elsewhere."

He reached for her arm and Kagome gave in and lifted it for him to inspect. His long fingers felt around the swollen area, pushing in just enough to make her wince from the pain.

"That looks pretty bad." Yusuke leaned down to get a better look. "How the hell could you miss it? It's twice as big as the other!"

Yusuke snagged a hold of her right wrist and brought it closer to the other for a comparison. Kagome flinched as he touched her, but he showed no signs of caring.

"It's not too serious of an injury. Nothing is broken, it's just sprained. I suggest taking the rest of the..."

"No!" Kagome yelled, cutting off Kurama and pulling both of her arms away from their hands. "I can't do that again. I can't stop."

"You have no choice, Kagome." Kurama remained calm as Kagome's anger rose.

"Says who? I think I'm capable enough to make my own choices, thank you! Besides, it's not like I'll be able to stop for a sprained wrist while I'm out there!"

"Yes, but you're not out there. You're in here and when you're in here, you're my responsibility." Kurama gestured to the dojo around them, then pointed over to Hojo, "He is responsible for you when you're outside of this room. We are to see to your health and safety. We understand your determination more than you think, but you are not us. You cannot expect to be as strong as us and your desire to try is only making you blind."

"I see." Kagome stepped back.

"No, that's the problem. You don't see."

"Ah." She laughed bitterly and backed away more, fighting to keep the tears at bay, "I'm already a lost cause. I guess, for once, I was right. It doesn't matter how hard I try, none of you even care."

She turned to leave them, ignoring the annoyed growl that came from Kurama. Hojo was quick to grab her arm, stilling her movement.

"Kagome..."

"The last thing I need from you is pity, Hojo."

"Just let her go. It's not like we'll need her when we go after these guys. She'll only slow us down." Yusuke stated, though Kagome was not surprised by his words. Hojo released her arm and she left them. "She has worse mood swings than any female I have ever known. Her self esteem is lacking too...and don't glare at me like that, Kurama. I know it's probably my fault."

"That stems back to when she was traveling into the past and journeying with Inuyasha." Sesshomaru spoke, his amber gaze still on the doorway Kagome had left through, "The wolf will probably know more about it. If not, I'm sure Koenma could arrange a meeting with the demon slayer, if she has yet to be reincarnated."

"I'm sure your words didn't help much either." Hojo said to Kurama, "She's used to you being kind and supportive. This must've shocked her, to hear you tell her she'll never be as good as the rest of you. She's right though, I shouldn't pity her. You do it enough for me."

With a soft pop, Hojo was gone, leaving the rest standing there for a few moments. Sesshomaru departed from them without speaking.

"I guess I do pity her..." Kurama admitted as they left the dojo, on their way to speak once again with Koenma. His words made Hiei snort and Yusuke to roll his eyes.

"Yusuke was right. We don't need her. Let Koenma keep her here where she is out of our way."

"She'll want to come, Hiei. She'll want to do what she can to help."

"She can start by not getting involved anymore. She needs to leave it up to the rest of us. She can resume her training when we return."

"What the hell?" Yusuke's sudden question died off quickly. There was something seriously wrong in Reikai. An energy unlike any of them had ever felt before started pulsing erractically all around them, but not causing them any harm.

The loud, feminine cry that met their ears shortly after the pulsing began had them running through the long hallways to locate her. Long strands of a shimmering, black energy flicked out at them, and others, as they tried to get closer. In the center of it all, was Kagome, the same black energy was swirling around her now unconscious and floating form. All the strands of the energy came from the same source. The Shikon no Tama had turned black. This was not a good sign.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **Fall to Pieces

**Author: **inuyashagirl5

**Rating: **NC-17

**Genre: **Angst, Action, Romance

**Pairing: **Undecided at the moment.

**Disclaimer: **Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Yu Yu Hakusho is owned by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only use their characters for my own amusement.

* * *

Chapter Five:

There was a large crowd already gathered around Kagome when Koenma reached them. He shooed off his subordinates, ordering them back to work while he came to stand between Kurama and Yusuke. He observed the situation carefully, pondering every possibility for the jewel to react and unleash such a negative energy. He couldn't be sure of what happened exactly until Kagome awoke.

The sight of the usually pink jewel now being a deep, dark black was unsettling for Yusuke. Kagome's words the day before echoed in his head. _"There is no good when it comes to the Shikon no Tama, only suffering.' _He didn't like the energy it gave off, especially when it reached out to surround him as well. He tried not to panic as the wisps of shimmering black passed over his skin before circling around his waist and moving to snake up around Hojo's arm.

A soft moan escaped Kagome as one of her hands came up to grab the jewel. She cringed and cried out as the jewel crackled with energy. The blackness receded, being engulfed by Kagome's purifying energy and turning back to pink. All the energy that had been unleashed was instantly absorbed, releasing those it was holding. Kagome fell, but shifted enough to land in a crouch instead of on her back. The group watched with wide eyes, especially those that had just been in the dojo with her. She pushed herself up with what was her bad side, but her left wrist was no longer swollen or sore.

Kagome slapped her hand over her face and groaned. This was the last thing she wanted to happen, or to explain. She hadn't meant for it to happen. She was lucky she had been able to purify it again.

"I'm such an idiot." She whispered to herself then groaned again.

"What happened, Lady Kagome?" Now that things were calm again, Koenma wasn't afraid to step closer.

"Do I have to tell you? I mean, I'd rather not." She near whined when he gave a firm nod for her to answer.

"This was something very serious. I need to know all the details of what happened. Why did the jewel act on it's own?"

"It didn't actually. I was careless. I was so angry with myself that I didn't realize what I had done until I came to." She chuckled nervously. Koenma simply raised one eyebrow at her and waited for her to continue. She was okay with him knowing, but the others were another story. Did they have to stare at her like that? They looked suspicious of her and ready to pounce the moment she said something wrong. She frowned as she realized her eyes had been staring into a set of bright, ruby orbs. She blinked once and tore her gaze away.

"What happened, Kagome?" Kurama asked, his voice soft and concerned and she flinched, a reaction he hadn't expected.

"Like I said, I was angry at myself." She began again, though this time she wasn't nervous, she was annoyed. She had a strange desire to leap forward and strangle the fox. "I was muttering to myself. Stupid stuff, really, but one of the things I said came out as, well, as a wish."

Koenma realized her error immediately, as did Kouga and Sesshomaru, but the rest were clearly confused by her confession. She was sure that would be cleared up in a few seconds. Yusuke would get some of those answers he wanted after all.

"I see." Koenma frowned at her. "Can you tell me what exactly the wish consisted of?"

"As you can see, the jewel is still here. That means I made a selfish wish and because of that, it's power grew. It took a lot of energy to purify it. I had to actually think about it that time. Usually it's a subconscious thing."

"That doesn't answer my question, Lady Kagome? What did you wish for?"

"I didn't mean to! I'm tired of being treated like I'm worthless!" She turned her head, avoiding their gazes. "I was angry at myself for being so weak. It only slipped out in my rant that I wanted to be stronger and more skilled like...well, it doesn't matter who I wanted to be more like! I got my wish, not that I meant to."

"Your wrist is healed." Kurama reached for her previously injured left wrist, but she stepped away from him. "Why are you doing that?"

"I'm not doing anything, and yes, it is healed. Imagine that!" She spat and turned to Koenma, anger blazing in her bright eyes. "I told you that I was unfit to protect this."

"It is a minor setback, Lady Kagome. There is no other." He calmly replied and held his hand up as she opened her mouth to speak, "Please, Lady Kagome, understand that this is your Fate, you who were born with the same jewel in your side. Only you can keep this pure."

"Born with it? Yusuke was curious, "How the hell did it come out?"

"Mind your own business!" Kagome hissed and Yusuke took a step back.

"That is enough." Sesshomaru place his hand on her head, "Come. We'll spar and get some of this aggression out."

She knew better than to argue with him and she really did want to get back to training. What she really didn't want, was to look at Kurama at the moment. His hurtful words were still fresh in her mind and she couldn't guarantee his safety if he were to join them.

"Fine. Just us though." She stated, keeping her eyes averted from everyone.

"The hybrid too. I won't hear your arguments." Sesshomaru released her and turned to walk away.

"Hn." Hiei followed, scowling at the back of the daiyoukai.

With a soft sigh, Kagome hurried off after them.

"Well, fuck! What the hell was that?" Yusuke whirled around to face Koenma, "Did that damned jewel give her nuts or something? I thought she was going to fry my ass!"

"That was just a side of Kagome you've never seen." Kouga spoke up and gave Yusuke a huge grin. "She can be a bit of a hellcat when she's pissed off. I'm glad this side of her has returned. It proves she's determined to fight."

"I feel very tired..." Koenma muttered to himself. "I'll be in my office if anyone needs me."

The group dispersed to different locations and Kurama followed after Yusuke and Kouga. Though he felt guilty for the things he had said to Kagome, they were things he felt needed to be said to her. He did not want her thinking that she could go into a fight against a demon and win easily. She was not as fast as, or as strong as a demon. She needed to build her strengths in other areas.

_'Perhaps I could have chosen my words a little more carefully...'_

"So, she's actually capable of fighting back then?" Yusuke questioned Kouga, who laughed loudly and slapped him on the back a few times.

"She's coming back into herself." Kouga admitted. "She was denied access to the past and for six years she had to deal with the pain of not knowing what had happened to her friends in the past. Now, she has to deal with not only the betrayal of someone she thought loved her, but her mother has been slain and her little brother taken."

"She loved one of them?"

"Yes. It was InuYasha. They traveled together and anyone who saw them could see how much she cared for him." Kouga scowled at the thought of it, "He was an asshole. He treated her like she was worthless and only useful to him because she could detect the jewel shards. He never realized that she was the glue that held their group together."

"I'm no better than that jerk. I haven't said the nicest things to her since we met."

"You still have time to change that. She's not one to hold a grudge for long." Kouga glanced over his shoulder to look at Kurama, "She'll brood for a bit, but she'll eventually let it go and move on."

"She's my teammate now. I have to put forth the effort to understand her."

Kouga's gaze shifted back to Yusuke. "Just talk to her. You'll see that what I have told you is the truth."

"Again." Sesshomaru moved to block Kagome's attack. Her speed had increased to a decent level for a human. He knew that with time she would likely become faster.

Each of her attacks were easily blocked by Sesshomaru, but Kagome was feeling a bit better. Sure, she couldn't land a hit yet, but she was keeping him moving and she wasn't even tired yet.

Their sparring went on for over an hour until Sesshomaru stepped back and allowed Hiei to take his place. He then excused himself and stated he would return shortly. Kagome swallowed nervously. This was her first time alone with this demon and she knew he hated her.

"He was too soft on you. Do not think I will do the same. I am not here to coddle you." Hiei set his katana aside and faced her fully. She was still fearful of him and it pleased him.

He certainly didn't hold back and within seconds Kagome was thrown across the room, her left shoulder throbbing dully. His speed was incredible and she couldn't see much more than a blur when he moved. She knew she had no hope to be victorious in this fight, but she would take in as much as she could learn.

He was advancing on her as she rose to her feet and she used her left arm to block his punch. She had very little time to dodge his second and he ended up grazing her ear. She was finding it difficult to locate an opening to retaliate. He wasn't presenting her any opportunities to launch a counterattack, forcing her to only be able to defend herself.

Despite that, she knew he had to be holding back. It wasn't possible for her to be able to dodge all of the attacks being thrown at her by the one who had shown such great speed only a few moments earlier. He was still treating her like a fragile egg regardless of the words he had spoken in the beginning. Kagome was not happy with the revelation at all. She didn't want to be viewed as weak and she sure as hell didn't want to be in a sparring match with someone who wouldn't take her seriously. Even Sesshomaru had respected her enough to instruct her and take her seriously.

"You creep!" Kagome growled and instead of dodging, she stopped and let the punch he was throwing connect. It hurt, but she had been hit harder in attacks from Naraku in the past. Hiei stopped and glared, but Kagome was far too angry to care about what he might feel about any of it.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked her, but she pointed to the exit and continued to glare.

"Get out!"

"I don't take orders from you either."

He advanced on her, but came up short as he was swept off of his feet and thrown back into the wall.

"I said get out!"

Hiei shook his head to clear the blurriness out of his vision. The sight before him surprised him.

Her eyes were glowing a bright white and she looked livid. It was a reaction he hadn't expected to gain out of her, but he'd accept it. It was what he wanted to see. He wanted to see a fiery response and see if she would be able to call upon those powers he could feel lying just below the surface.

He knew, however, that this show of power would be short lived. He just needed to survive long enough to gauge just how long it would be before she collapsed. She had to be tired from her workout with Sesshomaru.

He hadn't moved much from his spot, only standing where he had landed. Kagome wasn't sure how she managed it, but she'd think on it later. It was clear that Hiei had no intention of leaving.

She took a step forward and flinched. Her whole body felt like it had been struck by lightning. Her limbs felt as though they had several hundreds pounds of weight attached to them. It wasn't going to stop her. She grit her teeth and tried to move again.

"You're only going to hurt yourself. Give up." Hiei snapped at her.

"I'm not stopping."

"You've done enough. Give up." He really didn't like repeating himself.

"I won't!"

He cursed her stubbornness. The damned woman just didn't know when enough was enough. She'd end up killing herself before they even had a chance to save the others.

"Stupid girl. Stop trying to..."

He was cut off again as he power reached out and tossed him aside. It was weaker and he was able to land safely on his feet.

"Stop telling me to stop... I can't..."

Just like that her power evaporated. He caught her before she could hit the floor, then set her down. She was determined, he'd give her that much. If they could get her to unleash this power against their enemies, he'd feel better in having her tag along.

"Excuse me, Hiei?" Hojo's head popped into the dojo's doorway, his eyes moved to where his friend lie, then up to the hybrid. "Lord Koenma has called for you. I'll take care of Kagome from here."

"Hn. Fine." He didn't want to deal with her when she came to anyway. Stubborn brat.

Hojo carefully lifted Kagome into his arms and smiled softly at her sleeping face. He was relieved to see her gain new allies, even if they weren't the nicest demons in the world.

"Then again, I shouldn't be surprised." He said quietly as he left the room, "People just tend to gravitate towards you. A very unique magnet."

Several hours later, Kagome finally groan and rolled to her side. She kept her eyes tightly shut and cursed the constant throbbing in her head. She had overexerted herself and was now paying for it. There was a good part to it all though, and she supposed she should thank the jerk who had pushed her so far that she retaliated with something new. She reflected back on it, but she was still unsure about how she had done it. It was almost as if it had done it on her own. She was certain that Sesshomaru would hear of it, and probably between himself and Genkai, maybe they'd come up with a logical answer and she could practice with that. What ever _that _was, she wanted it. For a few small moments she had felt strong.

She blinked her sleepy eyes open when she heard shuffling about the room. Expecting it to be Hojo, her most often companion, she was startled to see Yusuke moving about the room. He was unaware of her gaze, moving to take a seat at the table. He was deep in thought and he looked troubled. Kagome wasn't sure if she wanted to know why he was there alone and why he looked as he did. He eyes moved to the table itself, noting that there was food. Her stomach rumbled at the sight and it drew his attention.

"You're awake." He rose and moved to her side. She tried not to cower back, but he hadn't yet done anything she could deem nice. He paused, but ignored her movement. "Can you stand? You should really eat to get back some of the energy you used."

"Why are you here?" She asked, her voice raspy from sleep.

"There others were called away for something else, I figured now would be a good time to talk to you alone." He answered, "I'm not going to do or say anything to hurt you. Just get up and come eat."

She did as he said, pushing herself up into a sitting position. It took a lot of her strength and she doubted she could make it to the table. She gave the distance between her and it a thoughtful gaze, then pouted. This wasn't going to go well, but she refused to ask for his help in moving such a short distance. If she fell, she'd have to force herself to get back up and keep moving.

She squeaked when he reached over and lifted her into his arms, carrying her that short distance she had been mentally preparing herself to cross. He set her down in one chair, and then took Hojo's usual seat across from her.

"Why'd you do that for? I can walk!" She was panicking. Yusuke rolled his eyes and pointed to the plate in front of her.

"We both know you wouldn't have made it without falling. I saved you the hassle. You eat and I'll talk." He waited while she poked around the food on her plate and when she took a small bite he began. "The others have followed Sesshomaru to his place in the Makai. Kurama has a theory and Sesshomaru said that he may have some books or something on the subject. Koenma didn't want them traveling alone, so Kouga and Hiei went as back up and Hojo went as an extra brain. I should have known that guy was a nerd."

"A theory on what?" She asked, ignoring the last comment he had made towards her friend.

"Hell if I know. Even if they tried to explain it, I doubt I'd understand it." He poked at some of the food on the plate in front of him, "They told me to stay away from you until they returned, but as you can see, I don't take orders very well."

"Why then? Why are you here?" Kagome asked, surprised when he frowned and gazed upon her with sad, dull eyes. She hadn't seen that from him.

"I've been pretty horrible towards you, haven't I? No, you don't have to answer me, I already know I have been." He answered, "Look, I know it won't repair any of the damage I have caused, but for what it's worth, I am sorry. I shouldn't have acted that way towards you. I'm pretty disgusted with myself that I even said some of the things I did, especially after your mother was found dead... It's inexcusable."

"St-stop it." Kagome covered her eyes when the tears came. She didn't want him to see her cry, but she was unable to make herself stop. "You don't understand... You don't have to..."

"Yes, I do. It wasn't right of me, regardless of my situation." His hand touched the back of hers. He hated this. Women shouldn't cry because of him. "Stop crying. You don't have to..."

"You idiot!" She cried harder and he pulled back at her shout. "You never had to explain it. I knew why. I accepted it... It must be so hard for you to lose someone so close to you like that..."

He took a deep breath and let it slowly, allowing her words to sink it a bit. It was kind of her, in a sense, but she was wrong. Even if she did understand, even if she could possibly be to blame, some of the things he had said he never should have said. Ever. Keiko would have been livid if she had been alive to hear him speak that way to another girl.

"It still doesn't make my actions right. My temper and my mouth get away from me sometimes. I am sorry..."

"Stop it! Stop apologizing to me!" Kagome couldn't take hearing him speak so apologetically to her anymore. He was supposed to be angry and hate her. She'd come to accept that.

Yusuke was tired of seeing her cry. It was time for him to let her be and allow her the time she needed to let his words be absorbed. He wasn't going to take them back, no matter how much she pleaded with him to stop. He leaned down next to her, and placed his lips close to her ear.

"Welcome to the team, Kagome."

Kagome blinked the tears from her eyes as he left the room. Though the tears were still falling fast, she couldn't help but let a small smile cross her lips.

She replied with a almost inaudible whisper, "Thank you."

* * *

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